A house that has stood in Flushing for more than 100 years is coming down to make way for a dentist's expanding clientele.

Dr. Niman Shukairy's current practice, at the corner of W. Main Street and Lynn Street, is next door to the house which will be torn down Thursday, July 11. While the number of clients of Flushing Family Dentistry is too big for its current location, Shukairy wanted to stay put and opted to build a new practice on the grounds where the house currently stands.

"I like it here and patients know where we're at," he said.

He said he acknowledges that some people will likely be disappointed to see the house go, but added that the new practice is ultimately positive for downtown Flushing.

The practice sits at the outskirts of downtown Flushing, an area that Shukairy said has been transitioning from residential to commercial. And another business can take up residency in Shukairy's current building, he said.

And the house he's replacing is showing signs of its age. The exterior is showing signs wear and water damage and Shukairy said there are structural problems. To renovate it would have been very costly, he said.

That combined with the fact that the house's interior doesn't lend itself well to a dentist's office led Shukairy to build a new practice there instead.

The building itself will have a brick and stucco facade with a stone entrance to make what Shukairy said he hopes will be a mix of newer and older styles.

"It will keep the traditional look that we see downtown, but it will also have a modern look to it," he said.

Shukairy has been practicing dentistry at his current location since 2004 and said that it's been cramped the entire time he's been there. He's owned the house for three years and said he was waiting out the recession before deciding to proceed. All in all, Shukairy said he hopes the total cost of the new building will be below $500,000.